Accused poacher says he bought the trout

KUFSTEIN, Austria, May 30 (UPI) -- A German man facing a poaching charge in Austria says he was just pretending to catch fish to impress his children.

Alexander Donninger, who was charged with poaching in a Kufstein court, said the fish a passerby reported him for poaching from the lake in the Kufstein district were actually frozen trout he had purchased from a local supermarket and allowed to thaw in order to impress his children with his fishing skills, The Local.de reported Wednesday.

The case is set to be heard when the witness returns from a vacation, the Die Welt newspaper reported.

Donninger could face a fine or up to six months in prison if convicted on the poaching charge.